Improvement in permutation locks



W. C. BU'SSEY. Improvement in yPermufation Locks.

Patented March 12, 1872.

@rufen y ATE IMPROVEMENT IN PERMUTATION LOCKS.

Specification forming part c Letters Patent No. 124,540, dated March 12, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known th at I, WILLIAM C. BUssEY, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improved Lock; and I do hereby declare the following description and accompanying drawing are sufficient to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which it most nearly appertains, to make and use my said invention or improvements without further invention or experiment.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved lock, which is principally designed for use insafes and bank-vaults; and which I call a detached cylinder-lock.

It consists mainly in so constructing the lock that by means of a pull-shaft, crank, and coggedgearin g', with an intermediate elastic joint connecting the knob with the tumblers and bolt, so that the bolt may be placed in any direction and at any distance from the knob; and the elastic joint prevents the lock from being tampered with by the sense of feeling. It further consists in a novel mode of setting the combination.

Referring to the accompanying drawing for a more complete explanation 'of my invention, Figure l is a side elevation of my lock with vertical section of the cylinder containing the tumblers. Fig. 2 is atransverse section of the cylinder, showing the tumblers, and also the manner of operating the bolt. Fig. 3 is a view of the locking device for the cylinder.

The letters in the drawing indicate the different parts.

A is a portion of the door or wall ofthe safe or vault to which the lock is to be attached. The knob B projects from the door A, and carries the numbered disk C, which revolves against the face of the door A, and serves to indicate the combination. The knob and disk are secured to a long screw, D, which is provided with a conical head, as hereinafter described. This screw turns into a hollow shaft, D', which is fitted from the inside of the door. The outside end of the conical head of the screw D is provided with a recess or countersink, f, so as to leave a rim surrounding it. Beveled slots g are made opposite each other in this rim, as shown. On the under side of the disk c is a projection, 71., which iits into the countersinkf, and upon each side of this projection is a small beveled lug, t', which fitsinto the beveled slots in the rim. A screw, j, then prevents the lugs from slipping out, and holds the disk in place. attached to doors/of various thicknesses by turning the screw D into the shaft to the pro-v per distance to fit the thickness of the door, and securing it by means of a screw, e. The

inner end of the shaft Dl is supported andturns in a bearing in the frame`E, which is secured -to the inside of the door A. This frame also supports the upper end of a vertical shaft, F, which extends downward to the lock. Bevelgear wheels G G are secured to the shafts D and F, and by this means the shaft Fis turned by turning the knob. The lower end of the shaft F enters and isgs'ecured in the upper end of a small cylinder, H, within which is a stem projecting downward, and surrounded by a spiral spring, a; A second cylinder, I, surrounds the spiral spring, which presses against its upper end and keeps itE close up into the lower end of the cylinder H, which is large enough for the purpose; and a pin, J, in the side of the cylinder I enters a slot in the cylin der H, so that both will turn together unless the shaft be raised, as will hereafter be shown, when the spring yields so much as to free the pin and allow the cylinder H and shaft F to turn without the cylinder I. This cylinder, I, is secured to the upper end of a spindle, K, which extends down through the lock-cylinder L.Y` `A sleeve, M, slides over the spindle, and upon this the tumblers N are placed. These tumblers turn loosely upon the sleeve, and have the usual arrangement of pins O, by which they move one another to the proper position for setting a combination. Each tumbler has a strong spring-ring, I), encircling it, and where the ends meet they are bent sharply outward,

forming a lug, Q, for each tumbler, and the` rings clasp the tumblers strongly enough to stay in any position where they may be placed. By this construction the combination can at any time be easily changed by introducing a key between the ends of a ring, and opening it sufficiently to allow it to turn freely on its tumbler to any other point. Inside the lockcylinder L are as many rings R as there are tumblers, the rings being made just large enough to allow the tumblers to turn insidev them or between each two, and having each a slot cut parallel with the axis of the cylinder, into which the lugs Q can enter when the shaft F and the spindle are drawn up after the combination is set. In the upper end of the cyl The knob and diskcan be inder L, above the rings R, is another ring, R', which is also slotted similar to the rings R, and, also, has upon its lower face, depressions not shown. Fixed to the spindle, above the rings P, is a solid disk, P, which has a lug, p, which corresponds with the lugs Qot' the rin gs. lVhen the lugs Q have all been brought into line with the slots in the rings B, the spindle is then turned backward until the lug p ofthe solid disk is opposite the slot in the ixed upper ring Pt', t-hen by lifting upon the rod or spindle, which is done by pulling upon the knob B, the rings are all lifted into the slots, when by turning the knob the cylinder will be rotated by the pressure of the lug p upon the ring R. In order to vary the combination or set ofthe ring B and disk P it is only necessary to chan ge therelative position of the bevel gear wheels G G, thus giving as many variations as there are teeth upon the bevel-gears. The cylinder L is provided with lugs or teeth S upon its outside, and these mesh into the` teeth T of a rack, which is formed on the bolt U, so that when the cylinder is turned the bolt will be thrown back and forth in the manner of locking and unlocking a door. When the combination is not properly set the lugs Q cannot be lifted into the slots in the rings It, but remain between the rings, where they and the tumblers can be revolved freely. In order to lock the cylinder L, and preventits being turned when the combination is not properly set, a sleeve, V, is iitted around the upper end ofthe spindle K, extending through the upper head ot' the cylinderL, and resting on the upper tumbler P. rlhis sleeve also passes through the upper standard W, which supports the cylinder, and has a lug, X, on each side, which slides freely in a corresponding slot in the cylinder-head and in the standard. An arm, Y, projects from the sleeve, and is bent at right angles, so that its extremity passes back behind the cylinder, so as to enter a slot in the bolt when the rings are down, and thus provides a further safeguard for the lock. When the combination is properly set to allow the tumblers to be raised, the upper tumbler will lift the sleeve V until the lugs X are clear of the cylinder-head, and the barY is drawn out of the slot inthe bolt, when the cylinder will be free to turn. By the elasticity of the spring connection, between the shaft F and the spin dle K, it will not be possible to feel the combination by manipulating the knob upon the outside. In order to lift the tumblers into the encircling rings It in the cylinder, when the combination is set, the knob B must be pulled upon in a direct line from the face ofthe door, so as to cause the shaft D to slide in its bearings. A loose disk, Z, is attached to the shaft D', and itsupper edge enters a slot in the end of the short arm of the bell-crank lever C. The end of the opposite arm clasps a cross-rod, e, of the guides f. These guides have their lower ends secured to the shaft F by a cross-plate, g', and when the knob is pulled out it will be readily seen that the shaft F and its connections will be elevated. The bevelwheels G have feathers, on which they can slide, so as to accommodate themselves to the movements of the two shafts D and F. For the purpose of setting the combination a small hole, marked 4, is made through the cylinder, opposite the position, which the lugs Q will occupy when they are in line and ready to be lifted into the slots in the rings. A key, shown at Fig. 5, serves when its prongs are inserted between the parts of the lugs, to open and hold the rings while the combination is being set. A slide, marked 5, fits in a vertical dovetail groove in the cylinder, so as to cover and conceal the holes when it is in place. When the bolt is thrown out in the lockin g-position, the end of the slide 5 is opposite a lug, 6, on the standard, which supports the'end ofthe cylinder so that it cannot possibly be withdrawn,it being necessary first to get the lugs in position, lift them, and throw the bolt back, in order to get the slide in a position to be removed. By the construction herein described, I am enabled to place the lock at any suitable distance, and in any direction from the knob B, so that no amount of rough usage will endanger the delicate action ofthe lock.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. The rotating cylinder L with the rings R,

and the tulnblers N having elastic rings P, when constructed substantially as herein described.

- 2. The sliding sleeve V with the lugs X and arm Y, opera-ted by the tumblers, and moving through the standard NV to lock or unlock the bolt and cylinder, substantially as described.

3. The shafts D and F with the gear-,wheels G, in combination with the cylinder L andbolt U of -a lock, when constructed to operate the lock, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the sliding-shafts D and F, I claim the bell-crank lever C, disk Z, and guide-rods f to operate the tumblers, substantially as described.

5. The cylinders I and Il with the spring u, in combination with the shaft F and spindle K, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The rotating cylinder L, perforated as described, at 4 4, with its interior arrangement ofrings It, in combination with the slide 5, substantially as and for the purpose above described.

7. The long screw D, with its recessed conical head, whose rim is provided with the bev eled slots g, in combination with the knob B and disk C, when said disk is provided with the projection h and beveled lugs i, substantially as and for the purpose speciiied.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

VILLIAM C. BUSSEY. [L.

Witnesses:

J. L. BOONE, Tnos. Srurrnnns. 

